Alex Ovechkin gets a hattrick and goal number 50 in a 5-1 win over the St. Louis Blues as Braden Holtby ties NHL wins record for a season.

Number 48 came on a beautiful one timer pass from John Carlson that set up the Ovechkin just below the circle. Ovechkin seemed primed for more after he snapped his first goal into the net and he did not disappoint.

Ovechkin goal number 49 came off of Nicklas Backstrom assist number 49. With a classic Backstrom set up pass to a beautiful snap shot that found its way in. a whole twelve minutes for Ovechkin to get both his goals in. Ovechkin now has 108 career multi goal games.

And number 50 came in the third period. A three on two breakaway saw Ovechkin streaking down the left side gobbled up the puck and took another snap shot to put it in. His second hat trick of the year, and seventh 50 goal season matching only Gretzky and Bossy for that many 50 goal seasons. Backstrom was once again the gifter giving him his own 50 point mark.

https://twitter.com/washcaps/status/718986999819055104

Braden Holtby would finally reach win number 48 in front of the only other NHL goalie to do the same, Martin Brodeur. Although Holtby has one more potential game to go, the record is now at least partially, his. With 19 stops on 20 shots, Holtby deserved a slightly easier win.

Caps goal number three came from Carlson who wanted to ensure his own multi point night. Tom Wilson made a beautiful thread of a pass to give Carlson the back hand chance.

Lastly, goal number four was all for Jason Chimera. In the 36 year olds best season he netted goal number 20 for the year by tipping in a Evgeny Kuznetsov back door feed (fantastic in its own right) that slipped right in. Another great play for the Caps in a night full of them. There are now six Capitals with at least 20 goals this season,

The Blues did put a little pressure on the Caps when Vladimir Tarasenko placed one past Braden Holtby at the 1:15 mark in the first, clearly the Capitals were less than phased by it. By the end of the game the Caps would lead 36-20 on shots.

The Caps will officially face the Philadelphia Flyers for the first round of the playoffs with the FLyers win earlier today.

Alex Ovechkin finally broke Sergei Fedorov’s record for goals scored by a Russian-born player, tying the game at two in the third period. But moments later, Jason Chimera’s turnover, on a play where he said, “I [effed] up,” put the puck on Jason Spezza’s stick for a point-blank shot, and the Washington Capitals fell to the Dallas Stars 3-2 at Verizon Center.

Ovechkin’s ninth of the season marks his 484th career NHL goal, eclipsing one-time teammate and Hall of Famer Sergei Fedorov. [Read more…]

Alex Ovechkin tied Thursday night’s Washington Capitals game against the Dallas Stars midway through the third period with his ninth of the season, passing former teammate Sergei Fedorov to become the all-time leading goal scorer among Russian-born NHL players with 484 goals.

Albert Pujols homered twice, including his 500th career homer — becoming just the 26th player in Major League history to reach the mark — to lead the Los Angeles Angels over the Washington Nationals 7-2 on Tuesday before 21,915 at Nationals Park.

The loss drops the Nats to 11-10 on the season.

Nats starter Taylor Jordan just didn’t have it from the start. J.B. Shuck doubled down the left field line leading off, and Mike Trout reached on an error by Anthony Rendon. Rendon bobbled the sharply hit ball, then recovered but threw wide of first. Albert Pujols then destroyed a belt high 90-MPH sinker that didn’t sink into the 10th row to straightaway left to put the Angels up 3-0 before most had settled into their seats. It was Pujols’ 499th homer of his career.

Jordan coaxed a lazy fly ball from Raul Ibanez for the first out, but Howie Kendrick smoked a double to the right field gap. Kendrick then went to third on Erick Aybar’s ground out to first. Jordan plunked David Freese, and Chris Ianetta made him pay, depositing a line drive single in front of Bryce Harper in left to plate the Angles fourth run of the inning.

The four runs represented the fifth time already this season the Nats have allowed at least three runs in the first inning and the ninth time they’ve given up two runs or more.

The Nats started chipping away at the deficit in the third. Sandy Leon doubled down the left field line and went to third on Jordan’s bunt single. Denard Span walked to load ‘em up with no outs. Skaggs uncorked a wild pitch on his first offering to Danny Espinosa and Leon chugged home with the Nats first run. Jordan then hit Espinosa in the front leg to load the bases once again. Jayson Werth then grounded into a 5-4-3 double play, but Jordan jogged home with the second run of the inning.

In the fifth inning, everyone at Nats Park got to witness history. With Trout aboard on a single, Albert Pujols crushed a fastball to the Red Porch, becoming the 26th player in MLB history to hit 500 home runs. Pujols hit his 400th at Nats Park as well, off Jordan Zimmermann on August 26, 2010. The most recent player to join the 500 Home Run Club previously was Gary Sheffield, who accomplished the feat April 17, 2009.

The Angels got another in the eighth against lefty Jerry Blevins. With one out, Erick Aybar doubled to the left field corner and stole third, though Matt Williams challenged the play and lost. Aybar then scored on David Freese’s sacrifice fly to right field.

The Nats failed to record a base hit after Jordan’s infield single in the third inning.

The two clubs face each other in the third game of the series Wednesday at 7:05 pm, with Gio Gonzalez (3-1, 2.88) hosting Jared Weaver (1-2, 4.74).

Romo’s third quarter interception gave the Washington Redskins hope, leading to an Alfred Morris touchdown and a Skins 20-14 lead. But in the waning moments of the game, Romo went through all of his receivers until he found DeMarco Murray alone in the flat, who sneaked into the end zone to lift the Dallas Cowboys to a 24-23 win at FedEx Field, keeping their playoff hopes alive until the final week of the season.

The Redskins fell to 3-12 in the defeat, their seventh in a row. The (at least) 12 losses clinches coach Mike Shanahan’s worst record as a head coach in the NFL.

Washington led 23-14 after Kai Forbath’s 47-yard field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter. But the Cowboys showed resilience though the final stanza, getting a Dan Bailey 25-yard field goal with 6:09 left following a 15-play, 73 yard drive before the deciding touchdown, which came at the end of a 9-play, 87 yard drive.

Kirk Cousins finished 21 of 36 for 197 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Morris ran for 88 yards on 24 carries.

Pierre Garcon caught 11 balls for 144 yards and a third quarter touchdown, passing NFL Hall of Famer Art Monk’s team single-season reception record of 104. Garcon stands at 111 with one game remaining.

For the day, Romo went 17 of 27 for 226 yards, two touchdowns and one pick. Romo shook off an right leg injury in the third quarter to lead his Cowboys to a win critical to their playoff chances. Dallas plays Philadelphia next week with the division title — and playoff appearance — on the line.

The Skins had no such aspirations, their playoff hopes realistically dashed early in the season. But the game marked London Fletcher’s last home game of his career. The veteran linebacker announced earlier in the week he was “99 percent” sure he would retire at the end of the season. Fletcher received several ovations during the day from the Redskins fans in the decidedly split crowd at Fed Ex, and finished with one solo and five assisted tackles.

The Redskins complete one of the franchise’s most disappointing seasons in their storied history next Sunday at the New York Giants.

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